Category: ‘Whatchamacallit’

Tiny Inventions IV – Originally Published May 2020

May 5, 2020 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

I’m still not a millionaire.  Back in June 2013, I thought for sure one of my Tiny Inventions would be picked up for production.  Tiny Inventions II in March 2017 didn’t do any better, so I tried again in March 2019 with Tiny Inventions III.  You would think that I should have learned by now.

I haven’t so here are some more of my ideas for inventions to make those big bucks.
1) Battery technology has really advanced in recent years.  The problem is that they still have to be recharged.  You need to always carry cables, battery packs, solar chargers, etc.  The Tinarger will solve this problem.  This small device is a dongle that will connect to the phones USB port.  Simply speaking into the Tinarger will active a mini‑wind turbine to recharge the device.  Hot air blowhards can finally put their talent to a good use.

2) The Tinoilet is a modification to a standard toilet that will replace the flushing mechanism.  The tank lid that is usually used for storing odd things like decorative soaps will be replaced with a hand washing sink.  After using the toilet, users would wash their hands under running water that fills the tank.  When the users hands are cleaned, the waste wash water will then flush the Tinoilet.

3) Speaking of bathrooms, don’t you hate it when the mirror fogs and you have to wipe it with a towel?  The TinyWiper will solve that problem.  It works like a standard car windshield wiper and is powered by a small battery that is automatically recharged by light from bathroom fixtures.

4) The TinyMill is a needed exercise device.  Many doctors recommend walking.  Unfortunately, walking can be bad for your knees.  The TinyMill is a large tub with a revolving surface.  You can walk and soak at the same time.

5) The Tinife is an electrically heated knife with multiple settings and uses.  You can replace your toaster by toasting the bread while you slice it.  If you use pre-sliced bread, simply rub the Tinife over the slice.  If you’re slicing meat, you can warm it at the same time.  Hard butter pats are no longer a problem.  They melt as you spread.  The best feature is that the Tinife sanitizes itself.

I sure hope that someone will take my ideas and put them on the market.  I could use the money.  I’m also running out of ideas.

That’s all for this month.  Thanks for reading.

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Coronovirus Thoughts – Originally Published April 2020

April 18, 2020 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

The recent Coronovirus (COVID-19) outbreak has got me to thinking about September 11, 2001.  More specifically, I’ve been recalling the weeks after the awful events that happened.  At that time, I was working at a convenience store in a small town.  It didn’t take long for rumors to start that there would be a nationwide shortage of gasoline.  That weekend, cars were lined up for blocks waiting to fill their tanks.  Stations ran out of fuel, until the tanker trunks arrived with more.

Here we are in 2020 with another national crisis.  Instead of gasoline, people are panic purchasing toilet paper and hand sanitizer.  At least we have plenty of gasoline.  There is one more thing we have an excess of: misinformation on the internet.

I don’t use Facebook a lot, about twenty minutes a day.  According to what I read in my timeline, the Democratic Party released the virus so the President would look ineffective and not be reelected.  Wait!  I’m wrong.  I read another report that said it was the Republican Party was at fault.  They released it so that big companies would make more money selling things.

Isn’t it interesting that both Joe Biden’s son and Donald Trump’s son­‑in‑law own controlling interests in a company that will make the anti‑vaccine medicine?  I will admit that it is nice to read some different exaggerations and lies.  I was getting tired of President Obama being a foreign borne Muslim terrorist.

For me, real life COVID-19 problems have been worse than the Facebook ones.  CYPHACON was canceled.  I’ve been having problems getting a refund for my hotel room that I prepaid for almost a year ago.  Like all other events, computer club activities have all been suspended.  I don’t even get my daily grandson visits as there is no school for me to pick him up from.

On the plus side, I have plenty of time to work on my projects that I never seem to finish.  After I finished the SWLAPCUG club website redesign, I started to work on doing the same for one of my personal sites.  Hopefully, I’ll get that done in the next month or so.

I’ve yet to complete my massive photo sorting, labeling and personal cloud storage project.  I’ve been working on it for several months now.  It is taking longer that when I scanned and uploaded more than thirty years of club newsletters.  Eventually I’ll get it done.

Another thing I want to do is redesign the club newsletter.  I’m planning some new sections and hope to set up an easier to use template.  I will admit that this is one undertaking that has a pretty low priority.

One thing I know for sure is that if I’m going to accomplish anything, I had better spend less time on the internet, especially Facebook.

That’s all for this month.  Thanks for reading.

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Rooting An Old Tablet – Originally Published April 2020

April 18, 2020 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

One thing about Android products is that they are easily recyclable.  Years ago, whenever I’d buy a new Android phone or tablet, the first thing I would do is root it.  Rooting is the process of allowing users running the Android mobile operating system to attain privileged control (known as root access) over various Android subsystems.  Because Android uses the Linux kernel, rooting an Android device gives similar access to administrative (superuser) permissions.  In layman’s terms, rooting gives you complete access to the file system.  You are able to add, delete and modify any files on your device.

Rooting can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing.  If you change or delete the wrong file, you can “brick” your device and render it useless.  Rooting can also be dangerous if you know what you’re doing.  Sometimes, a moment of inattention and you’ve deleted the wrong file.

Years ago, the first thing I did to a new phone or tablet was root it.  I quit doing this when the devices came with hardly any bloatware.  I recently had to recall my old skills and do it again.

My wife exclusively uses a Samsung ten inch tablet for her online activities (which aren’t many).  She recently upgraded to the latest model and I gained control of her old one.  It is a Samsung Galaxy Tab E, about six years old, running Android 5.1 Lollipop.  My plans are to use it mostly for playing “The Room” games and watching videos.

There are several Nougat ROMs (Operating Systems) that I could download and install.  Instead I opted for installing TWRP (TeamWin Recovery Project).  This app allows you to install new operating systems, freeze files so they cannot be used by the OS or delete files.  One of the best features is that you can uninstall any application from your android device.

Although I could update to Android 6 or 7, I decided not to.  For my uses, Android 5 is more than adequate.  I may change my mind if I ever want to download an app that requires it.  Instead, I deleted all of the Samsung programs.  I also deleted many Google apps, such as Maps, Gmail, Cloud Print, etc.

This ended up being a good project while being stuck at home during the COVID-19 scare.  The result is that I now have a six year old tablet that boots fast and runs smoothly.  Additionally, I got the chance to hone some old skills that I haven’t used for a while.  Although it wasn’t as easy as “riding a bicycle”, it was fun finding out that I could still do it.

Thanks for reading.

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I Want To Believe – Originally Published March 2020

March 4, 2020 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ve been re‑watching the X‑Files, which has always been one of my favorite television programs.  I often think of this show whenever I read another article about people falling for a phishing scam.  Almost every day, there are more companies and people that get compromised.  I often wonder how many don’t ever get reported.

Why does the X‑Files remind me of scams?  Fox Mulder had a poster in his office that said, “I Want To Believe”.  I think that is why phishing scams work so well.  People want to believe that there is really a Nigerian prince that wants to give them money.

These con games have been around long before there was an internet.  Older people will remember getting chain letters.  Just send five dollars to the top name(s) on the list and add people you don’t want to keep as friends to the bottom.  Send the letter on to them and soon your mail box will be packed with envelopes containing money.  I wonder how many readers won the Irish Sweepstakes without even buying a lottery ticket?  No, you didn’t really win an all expenses paid vacation that requires a small processing fee.

When governments, companies, school districts, etc. get ransomware installed, it is often because an employee clicked on a link in an e‑mail.  They wanted to believe that their boss wanted them to do something, that their schedule had been updated or that there is another important event happening.

I’m knocking on the wood of my computer desk as I tell you that I have never had a virus or malware on any of my many computers.  This is despite the fact that I sometimes visit some “shady” web sites.  On those rare occasions, you can bet that I’ve opened my browser in a sandbox.

So how do I avoid all the evils? I just follow a few simple rules.

• I almost never click on a link received in an e‑mail.  This includes messages that I’m fairly sure are safe.  Even my bank doesn’t like me that much.
• When I visit those “risky” web sites I mentioned earlier, I definitely don’t click any links.  If anything interests me, I usually open a new tab and do a search.
• I only download programs from the creators website.  The same goes for software updates.  Only from the program and not a popup on my computer.
• Whenever I install new programs or updates, I carefully check every screen before clicking next.  That includes EULAs.
• I never download or install a browser extension, a program or a plug‑in that I didn’t look for.  If a website tells me I need to do something special, I do something special.  I leave the site.
• I disable auto‑run on all my drives.
• I use a password manager.
• I never, ever click links on social media sites (especially Facebook).

Stay safe on the internet.  Use common sense.  Try not to believe.  Trust no one.
That’s all for this month.  Thanks for reading.

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Online Design Sites – Originally Published February 2020

February 16, 2020 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

I know it looks a little grainy.  I know it looks a little tacky.  I know you probably said, “What the heck is Tiny doing now?”  Yes, I’m talking about the front page of this months newsletter.

There are a lot of online sites for designing things.  What is great about many of them is the fact that you don’t have to download and install software on your computer.  Some have been discussed at club meetings.  This month, I’d like to pass on a few that I use fairly often.

Create Word Clouds lets you make an image made of words that together resemble a cloudy shape.  The size of a word shows how important it is e.g. how often it appears in a text.  I’ve used it to create the heading image for “Big Words That You Will Probably Never Use” in the monthly newsletter.  I’ve also made a “history” header which I occasionally use.  It is easy to use.  Just type in, or copy and paste, your words.  Click “generate” and download your image.

˙ʞooqǝɔɐɟ uo sʇsod ǝʞɐɯ ı uǝɥʍ ʇoן ɐ bɹo˙ʇxǝʇdıןɟ ǝsn ı It is a fun little site that does only one thing.  Whatever you type is converted to “upside down” text.  Then just simply copy and paste to whatever medium you are using.  The only minor quibble I have with the site is that it doesn’t retain capital letters.

If you need to make a logo, DesignEvo is a site with more that 10,000 templates that you can use to design it in a few minutes.  Just pick a category, add a name and slogan (both optional), pick an icon and download your new logo.  You also have the option to change the font.

One of mah favo’ite sites is Th’ Dialeckizer. This hyar site has a simple corncepp.  Type o’ past whutevah yer hankerin’ t’say into th’ text box.  Then seleck a dialeck fum sevahal catego’ies: Redneck, Jive, Cockney, Elmer Fudd, Swedish Chef, Mo’on, Pig Latin, Hacker o’ Censo’.  Yo’ kin also inter a URL address an’ translate an intire web page.  Redneck is th’ dialeck ah use most offen.

Almost all of the buttons and information tabs on the club’s web site were made on ImageFu.com.  Like all the links in this article, it is free and easy to use.  There are several options for text, coloring and shape.  After you’ve finished your design, click the “download” button.  Da Button Factory is another site that does the same thing.

I got the idea for this article after I stumbled across The Pulp‑O‑Mizer web site.  Although, the obvious purpose is to sell merchandise, I immediately thought it would be fun to do something for the club newsletter.  I designed the cover page in less than fifteen minutes without having to look at any instructions.  The reason it doesn’t look so great is because I expanded it to fit the page.  It wasn’t the best resolution.  You can see that it looks a lot better in the picture accompanying this article.  I probably won’t use this site again.

That’s all for this month. Thanks for reading.

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Is This the Year for Linux? – Originally Published January 2020

January 31, 2020 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

I’m thinking that this is the year I may finally completely wean myself from the Windows Operating System.  This is largely because Window 10 seems to be getting worse.  They have moved many of the programmers from Windows OS to Azure and other projects.  It seems that they don’t do very much in‑house bug testing anymore.  Instead, they now farm it out to the “fast ring” and the “slow ring”.  Could this be part of the reason why there are often so many problems when updates are released to the public?

Meanwhile, Linux continues to get better.  Many of the distributions have evolved to where they are stable and mostly error free.  There are many programs that run on Linux.  Even most Microsoft software can be used on Linux with the Wine compatibility layer.

Linux is a very secure system.  I can make this statement because Linux is open‑source software.  There are thousands of eyes constantly examining for security issues.  Like any OS, there are trojans, viruses and back‑doors.  These are far fewer in numbers than Windows.  This is probably because there are far less installations of Linux.  When found, they are usually quickly fixed.

Since Windows 10 was released, there have been many vocal complaints about Microsoft “spying” on users.  The fact is that both Apple and Microsoft have always collected telemetry on usage data for years.  If you are concerned about this, Linux collects nothing, unless you specifically install it.  Considering the size of the Linux user base, not many profit motivated companies build tracking applications for Linux.  Of course, web browsers track data the same on all operating systems.

Linux is highly stable.  If you’ve spent any time around Windows forums, you know that after a while the system starts to slow down.  The OS often needs to be freshly installed so that it will run correctly.  You do not need to do this with Linux, which runs exactly as it did when first installed.  There are many tales of Linux distributions that have been running for years without rebooting the computer.  Add this to the fact that Linux runs on a wide variety of hardware.  Like many users, I got my start in Linux by running it on old computers that would no longer easily run Windows.  Now I use it almost daily.

Windows updates have become more nightmarish in recent years.  Maintaining Linux is easy.  All of the variants have their own software repository.  These archives are used to update both the system software and installed programs.  There is no need to update third party software individually.

Linux is completely free and users do not need to pay for anything.  All of the basic software required by a typical user and even an advanced user are available.  Linux is only for geeks isn’t true anymore.  It has become user‑friendly and has a good graphical user interface (GUI).  You will find almost all the functionality that Windows has.

Finally, maybe the biggest reason for switching to Linux.  You can brag on the internet that you’re a Linux User.

That’s all for this month. Thanks for reading.

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Christmas Gag Gifts – Originally Published December 2019

December 8, 2019 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

Bah!  Humbug!  It’s that time of the year again.  The retailers want us to spend all of our hard earned nickels on lots of things that we don’t really need.  About the only difference in the holiday season every year is that it usually seems to start earlier and earlier.  This year, I saw my first Christmas display on labor day.  I’m expecting the 2020 season to start around the Fourth of July.  Every year, I’ve got to listen to some novelty song about five zillion times.  I’m just happy that Grandma doesn’t get run over by a reindeer as often as she used to.

There is one thing that I do look forward to every year.  The SWLAPCUG has a Christmas party.  The White Elephant exchange of gifts is always a fun time.  There is usually the “one” gift that everyone tries to get.  This year I thought I’d help out the club members selecting that “perfect” gift to bring.

This Bluetooth Beanie Hat will replace your your headset or ear pods and will keep your head warm at the same time.  I can think of multiple uses for this.  I’d probably wear it a lot when I’m sitting in my easy chair.

The Official BS Button would get a lot of use in many of the places that I go to.  The only problem is that it could cost me a small fortune to buy replacement batteries.

ThxToms Flashlights Gloves would be a good gift for somebody.  I’m not sure who, but somebody.

This 32gb thumb drive is pretty thumby.

Sometimes the Gift Box can be better than the gift.

See y’all on December 9.
Thanks for reading.

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Does Size Matter?

November 10, 2019 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

I often wonder about a lot of things.  Lately I’ve been thinking about magnitude.  Does size matter?  No, I’m not writing a post with innuendos about things that you might find in someones bedroom.  I’m not thinking about how big your car might be or even the size of our President’s ego.  I’ve been contemplating the size of the various electronic stuff that I use.

It all began when I recently purchased a new tablet.  I’ve routinely used a tablet since the Nexus 7.  My portable needs were never very high.  I use my tablet mostly for reading library books and magazines, listening to podcasts and playing a few games.  I never needed high end performance or top of the line components.  My biggest requirement was always buying a 7 inch tablet.  I liked that size because they easily fit in the side pocket of my cargo shorts.  This time, I couldn’t find a decent 7 inch tablet for less than $100.  I opted to buy a Chuwi 8 inch.  It works fine and I like it a lot, except for the extra inch.  It fits in my pocket, but not quite in my hand.  The feel just isn’t there.  I often feel like it is ready to fall out of my hand.  I’ve found that size does matter.

I have the same problem with phones.  I’ve had phones smaller than 5½ inches and larger than 6 inches.  They just didn’t work for me.  I need a machine that easily fits in my shirt pocket but doesn’t overwhelm my hand.  Size does matter.

I once owned a 10 inch laptop that I gave away to one of my grandsons.  It was a good machine with decent specs, but I couldn’t use it.  It was so small that it didn’t fit on my lap.  The smaller size meant a smaller keyboard which made it extremely difficult for a touch typist.  My new laptop is a 15 inch, the perfect size.

Another item where size matters is desktop monitors.  I’ve got five of them on my desktop.  I look at the 32 inch monitor all the time.  I seldom look at the 16 inch screen.  Size does matter.

The minimum RAM requirement for Windows 10 is 2 gb.  I don’t think anyone will agree that is the right size.  You should run at least 8 gb.  Size does matter.  (This is probably the one time where it can be said that “bigger is better”.)

I usually have about 10 mouses in my electronics box.  Most of them are there partly because they are the wrong size.  I like a full size mouse that fits my hand and doesn’t cramp my fingers when I’m computing.  That’s why I won’t buy a mouse online.  I need to check the fit in the store before I use it.

This article is starting get get a little long.  Does size matter?
Thanks for reading.

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SWLAPCUG A to Z – Originally Published October 2019

October 6, 2019 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

Here I go again with one of my A to Z articles. This month the A to Z of the SWLAPCUG.

A is for Apple – a company with products that our club doesn’t talk about much.
B is for Bits & Chips – the club newsletter.
C is for Coppermine – the software that powers member photo galleries.
D is for Damn – a word that Tiny often uses when updating the club web site.
E is for Education – what we attempt to accomplish.
F is for From the President’s Desk – a monthly section in the club newsletter.
G is for GTPCC – our sister club until they disbanded.
H is for HostGator – our web site provider.
I is for Internet – whatever that is.
J is for Jande Street – where we hold our meetings.
K is for Kernel – because every member of the club works together
L is for Libre Office – the word processor used by many members.
M is for Monday – when we have our monthly meeting.
N is for Night – because it coincides perfectly with the M.
O is for Operating Systems – we discuss them all.
P is for phpBB – the software that powers our forums.
Q is for Quiet – with shy and unassuming describes the member with the longest drive.
R is for RAM – or ROM, RSS, RTF, RJ45, RGB, RAID, RPM, RTN, etc.
S is for Scribus – the software used to create the club newsletter.
T is for Tiny’s World of BS – nothing to do with the club but a shameless plug for me.
U is for Utilities – programs often discussed at club meetings.
V is for VLC Media Player – used by many club members.
W is for WWW.SWLAPCUG.org – or .com, the club website address.
X is for Xyloid – where we go to meet for a SIG group.
Y is for Yaud – Tom’s function in the club.
Z is for Zettabyte – amount of info to accumulate before the club disbands.

Thanks for reading.

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Downloading Electronic Books – Originally Published September

September 1, 2019 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
by Tiny Ruisch

Ever since I learned how, I’ve always been an avid reader.  My parents didn’t have a television until I was about ten years old.  That never bothered me.  The library always had a lot of entertainment.  In later life, when I was in the Navy, I seldom watched the ship’s movie.  I was busy finishing reading one more chapter before lights out.  These days, I still read about twenty magazines each month.  I used to read four or five books at a time.  I had a bedside book, a bathroom book, an easy chair book and one or two others laying around in various places.

I could not even estimate how many thousands of dollars I’ve spent buying reading material of one form or another.  In the past three or four years, my reading has all become either digital or audio.  I haven’t been in a bookstore or looked at a magazine display rack in at least two years.  For me, it’s all been for the better.  In this article, I’m going to tell you how you can do the same for free.

Luckily with e-book readers, I’ve saved a lot of money.  One of the reasons is because it is so easy to check the material out from the Parish library.  From my easy chair I can borrow a vast number of books, magazines, comic books, movies and much more.

There are many internet sites where electronic books can be downloaded for no charge. All the major booksellers offer some free books, but there are many other places where you can get a better choice.  A good place to start your search is at Tech Support Alert’s Free eBooks And Audiobooks To Read Online Or Download.  This is the launch page of categories.  It links to other sites that list free e‑books with download information.  The lists are sorted by genre.  There is also an alphabetical list on the same site at the Best Free eBooks Online.  The page title is somewhat confusing.  It is actually a list of sites that offer free books.  At the time of this writing there are 913 sites listed.  These pages also have links to sites for downloading comic books, textbooks and online courses.  Bonus tip: if you read the user comments, you will find links to many other sites.
Some other sites that I use to download free books (in no particular order) are:

• Project Gutenberg was one of the first e‑book sites.  There are more than 59,000 titles.  It has by far the largest list of free titles for downloading and the site is easy to use.

• Open Library is a section of the Internet Archive.  The goal is to have a web page for every book ever published.  Most pages have links to where you can get the book.  Some of the book are readable in your web browser.  You can borrow others for a two week period.

• Bookbub is a site that I check daily.  It isn’t a download site but lists the latest deals on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Google and Kobo.  Many of the books are for sale (usually $0.99 or $1.99) but it also lists many free books.  If you use the link I’ve provided, you won’t have to give them an e‑mail address.

• eBook Reader is a review site for all things e‑reading.  You can find information on both hardware and software.  They have an extensive section of where you can download books (both free and paid).  There are also several how‑to guides.

• Standard Ebooks is another free e‑Book download site.  There is not a large selection.  The titles mostly seem to be older classics.  The advantage is that book formatting is much better and easier to read.

I hope this list of sites has piqued your interest and gets you started on e‑book reading.  This is nowhere near a complete list of download sites for e‑books.  If you’re like me and like to read, these links should get you started.

One last note.  All of the links in this article are for downloads of e‑books only.  Many of the sites also offer audio books, recommendations for reader software and other goodies.  Most of the sites offer downloads in various formats, so be careful and double check the links.

Thanks for reading.

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